Apparatus for making soap cakes having desired insignia



| A.- BLOCK 2,423,576

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SOAP CAKES HAVING A DESIRED INSIGNIA July 8, 1947.

Origifial Filed Sept. 25, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l xxx Lgsh e /l ggck /1 TTORNE Y v July 8, 1947; A, BLOCK 2,423,576

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SOAP CAKES HAVING A DESIRED INSIGNIA Original Filed Sept. 25, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I "Les/A914. 5700K INVENTOR y 1947- A. BLOCK 2,423,576

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SOAP CAKES HAVING A DESIRED INSIGNIA Original Filed Sept. 25, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 gpqvlllil //'e A. B/ock INVENTOR .4 TTORNE Y y 1 1947- L. A. BLOCK 2,423,576

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SOAP CAKES HAViNG A DESIRED INSIGNIA Original Filed Sept. 25, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig/5 Les/fa I4.5/OC/ v I [NVEN TOR I BY ATTORNEY Patented July 8, 194? APPARATUS FOR MAKING SOAP CAKES HAVING DESIRED INSIGNIA Leslie A. Block, Rochester, N. Y.; Wilton A. Block, administrator of said Leslie A. Block, deceased Original application September 25, 1943, Serial No. 503,792. Divided and this application February 26, 1945, Serial No. 579,706

Claims.

The present invention relates particularly to an apparatus for making soap cakes having a desired insignia and the present application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 503,792 filed September 25, 1943.

While it is well-known that soap cakes having a desired insignia may be made by providing an aperture or reces in a soap cake and introducing a distinctively colored insert thereinto, such known methods and apparatus are not satisfactory because exact and precise registry is not obtained between the insert and the soap cake.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus for making a soap cake having a desired insignia which is precisely complementary to said soap cake.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for introducing a distinctive insert into a soap cake and simultaneously forming and/or reforming the aperture or recess in the soap cake by mean of the distinctive insert itself.

A further object of the invention i an apparatus for providing a distinctive soap material with the grain therein in a predetermined plane and forming from such distinctive soap material an insert which is introduced into the soap cake with the grain of said insert substantially parallel to the display surface of said soap cake.

A still further object is an apparatus comprising a mold with a cavity for a soap cake and having a wall provided with an aperturehaving the contour of a desired insignia and a plunger for moving a distinctive insert through said aperture and into said soap cake.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent or suggested to those skilled in the art by the description which follows:

The aforementioned and other objects of the invention are accomplished by an apparatus for introducing a distinctive insert into a soap cake and simultaneously forming or reshaping an aperture in the soap cake by insertion of said distinctive insert so that the contour of the aperture and insert correspond precisely throughout. The technique of the invention is further enhanced by forming the distinctive insert of a soap material which is harder and drier than the soap cake, by previously providing an aperture in the soap cake which aperture is more or less reshaped by the insert itself, by forming the insert in a die molded around the core for making said aperture, by arranging the grain of the soap material for the distinctive insert in a predetermined plane, either by pre arrangement or by compression, and forming therefrom an insert which is introduced into the soap cake with its grain parallel to a display surface of the soap cake, and/or by introducing the freshly formed insert immediately into the soap cake to shape the aperture therein whereby the adjacent surfaces of the insert and aperture'co'ntact throughout and tightly adhere to each other.

The inertion and cementation of the distinctive inserts may be facilitated or improved'by lubrieating or wetting the walls of the aperture in the soap cake prior to or during the introduction of the distinctively colored insert into said soap cake. Also the fixation of the distinctively colored insert and the appearance of the composite soap cake may be further improved by subjecting said composite cake to a' compressin "and finishing operative in a cake finishing press of known design.

As used herein the term insignia shall mean and include one or more symbols, monograms, figures, letters, characters, trade-marks, designs, or the like; the term distinctive as used to describe the insert shall mean and refer to a different color or different shade of the 'same c'olor for the insignia with respect to the color of the soap cake; and the words aperture, recess, hole, etc. are applied interchangeably to the openings in the soap cake. The features of the invention are equally advantageous whether, as shown, the distinctive insertsextend partially or entirely through the soap cake.

,"Since the present invention is primarily directed to formation of a soap cake having a desired insignia, it is not necessary to describe the preparation and manufacture of'the soap material itself. The only requirement is that the soap material shall be in a state ready and suitable for molding and may be in pulverized or powdered form. For instance, soap material as it comes from the plodder may be used as a' starting material especially for the cake body While the soap material for forming the insignia may be dyed to a color and/or shade different from the soap cake by the addition or admixture of suitable dyes or pigments and is preferably dried or dehydrated in a known manner to be drier and harder than the soap material of the cake body.

Reference is hereby made to the accompanyingdrawings wherein similar reference characters-designate similar elements and wherein:

1 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary transverse section through an automatic machine for performing the invention. Y 1

Fig. 2 is a transverse section to enlarged scale of the soap cake recessing station of said machine.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the recessed soap cake with a section cut away through the insignia.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a cover member for the mold member of said machine.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a distinctive insert forming and injecting station at the second step Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section of said 1 insert forming and injecting station at the fourth step of the cycle.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section of said insert forming and injecting station showing the relative positions of the piston and plunger members during the fourth step of'the cycle.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section through the actuating mechanism for the insert forming and injection means on the line H!I0 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 11 is a side elevationof a distinctive insert cutting and injecting station at the second step of its cycle.

.Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of said insert cutting an injecting station during said second step of the cycle.

Fig, 13 is a vertical transverse section of said insert cutting and injecting station during the third step of its cycle.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section of said insert cutting and injecting station during the fourth and during the final compression steps of the cycle.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the automatic machine for practising my invention showing the actuating mechanism for the cake perforating and insert injecting stations thereof.

Fig. 16 is an inverted perspective view of the cutting and plunger members of the insert cutting and injecting station.

Although provision of recesses or apertures in the soap cake prior to the insertion of the distinctive inserts is shown herein and is preferred, it must be understood that the invention in its,

broadest aspects contemplates displacement of the soap material of the soap cake to receive the distinctive inserts solely by the action of the "provided by a punching operation later to be described.

The automatic machine for performing the method of the invention comprises a frame in- 7 eluding side walls 13, see Fig. 15, and a carrier for a plurality of mold-members which are moved to various stations such as a loading station, a cake perforating station, and an insert forming or cutting and injecting station. Such a carrier may comprise apair of disks 45, ee Figs. 1 and 15, mounted in spaced relation on and for rotation about a fixed shaft 46 which is mounted between the sidewalls 13 of the frame of the machine.

A cam member is fixedly mounted between said disks 45, includes a collar attached tosaid moves the actuating rods 19 through compression fixed shaft 46, and includes a rise 49 for a purpose to be mentioned later.

Each of the mold members is mounted between said disks and each mold member comprises a hollow frame 50 and a bottom member 5|. Said hollow frame provides a mold cavity 52, has end walls 53 which are fastened to said disks 45 and has side walls 54. The bottom member 5| ts into said frame 50 to close one side of said mold cavity 52 and has a stem 55 movable within a block member 56 mounted between said disks 45. Said bottom members 5| are normally held in any suitable manner with the ends of stems 55 bearing against the periphery of cam member 41. An indexing mechanism for the carrier may comprise a Geneva gear 54 mounted on one of said disks 45 and a driving member including a disk 15 carrying a pin F6 for engaging the radial slots of said Geneva gear 14 to move the same intermittently and a sector I? on disk 15 engages the periphery of gear 74 to hold the same sta tionary between rotations thereof.

The loading station may comprise a conveyor 51 which brings the soap cakes 29 into position opposite the cavity 52 in the mold member at the loading station and a loading plunger 58 is reciprocated within a support 59 to push the succes" sive soap cakes 29 into said cavity 52 of the mold member. Whereupon the disks as are rotated to bring the mold member and soap cake therein to a perforating station.

The provision of a perforating step or station for the soap cake 29 is optional because the apertures or recesses 55 may be provided in said soap cake '29 prior to its being placed on the conveyor 5'! of the loading station or because such apertures or recesses are not necessary when the distinctive inserts themselves perforate the soap cake at the insert forming or cutting and injecting station in the manner suggested herein.

Such a perforating station, if provided, may comprise a cover member 50 and a perforating member. Said cover member 60 has a cake contasting portion 62 and a pair of dowels 65. The perforating member includes a plunger fii'having the contour of the desired insignia and mounted uponaplate 54. r r

The actuating means for said cover and perforating members includes a frame head it, a pair of actuating rods '59 extending through said head 78 and attached to the cover member 53, and an actuating rod also extending through head 18 but attached to the plunger plat 64. Coil springs 8i encircle rods 19 and a coil spring 82 encircles rod 80, and-the tension in said springs iii and 82 may be adjusted respectively by nut members BI and 82 to cause the sequence of movements about to be described. Cheek plates 1 l8, see Fig. 15 are attached to each side of the frame head 78 by bolts H9 and slidably engage the sides of openings I25 in the side Walls if. A connecting rod l2l is pivotally connected at one end to a cheek plate I I8 and at its other end to a bell crank I22 which is pivoted upon side wall i3 and which is oscillated by a second connecting rod I23 also connected to bell crank H22 and eccentrically pivoted to a driving disk [24.

During each cycle of the machine said actuating means moves the head 13 toward and away from thecarrier for the mold members. Movement of the heat 18 toward a 'mold member of springs 8| to project the cake contacting portion 62 and dowels 63 of the cover member 55 into the mold cavity 52 and recesses 6% respectively. At the same time, the plunger BI is moved toward the soap cake 29 and. continued movement of head I 8 through spring arena actuating rod 80 moves plate 64 to project perforating" plunger 6| into the soap cake '2'9. Plunger BI is moved into the soap cake 2'9 toany-de'sired'depth,'preferably that indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, or somewhat more than half-way through the soap cake 29. Such depth of penetrationof plunger 6i being determined by the eccentricity of the connection or rod I23 to disk I24 and/or by the radii of; the arms of the bell crank" I22.

Return of the "frame head "I8 to the position shown in Figs. 1 and retractssaid' plunger ti and cover member '68 from the mold member and the soap cake therein is provided with one or more apertures 65 in theshape of the desired insignia. The insert forming and injecting station is also 'slidabl'y mounted within openings I28 in the'sid'e walls I3 of the machine frame. Cheek blocks "I25 are fastened to opposite sides of a frame head 72 by means of bolts I25 and dowel pins I21, see Fig. 10. A support member '81 is fastened at opposite ends to side walls I3 by bolts 68. Said insert forming and injecting station comprises a cover member 69, a plunger member Ill, a piston member I I, and an actuating means for operating said members in a cycle composed of five steps. Said actuating means includes a frame head I2'which is reciprocated radially of the mold member carrying the soap cake 29 and a plurality of rods extend through said frame head I2 and beyond the support member BI. I

The cover member 69 comprises a block 83 having a projection 84 adapted to fit intothe hollow frame 56 and having a concave soap cake engaging surface 85. Said block 83 is provided. with an insert soap cavity 36 and with a. gu'ideway 87 for conductinga strip 88 of a distinctively colored soap over said cavity 55. one or more apertures 89 having the shape or contour of the insignia to be, embedded in the soap cake, are prcvided in said projection 84 and extend from the bottom of cavity 85 to the soap engagingsurface 85 of the cover member I39. A slideway 9B is provided in the bottom of block 83 for a slide 95 which extends beyond one end of saidblock "83 and which is there provided with a pair of slots 22. The other end. of slide 9i carriesa pair of pins $3 whiche'xtend into recesses 94 in block -83. Springs 95 in said recesses 94 have one end connected to said pins 93 and the other ends con hected to a pair of pins 96 within recesses 94 to hold the slide 9| normally in position against one of dowels 83' and with an opening 91 in said slide 9i opposite the apertures 89 in said projection 8t. Slide Si is also provided with an elongated slot 9 I for permitting movement of slide 9| with respect to the other dowel 83'.

A pair of actuating rods 98 are attached to diagonally opposite corners of the block 83 of the cover member 69 and eacheXtends upwardly through the frame head I2 and through and beyond the'support member "61. A'pair of coil springs 9-9 encircle said actuating'rods 98 above said support member 6! and a pair of nuts "I00 are threaded onto the upper ends of said rods 98 sion in said springs IU'I between the bottom of frame head I2 and said nuts I02.

The piston member II comprises a plate I03 and a piston IM adapted to fit into the cavity as in said block 83. Said piston I94 is attached to or is integral with plate I63 and extends downwardly therefrom. Also the piston ISA is provided with one or more apertures having the shape and contour of the desired in ignia. The plate 663 is provided at one pair of diagonally opposite corners with openings through which the actuating rods 98 slidably extend and a second pair of actuating rods I05 are attached to the other pair of diagonally opposite corners of plate I63 and such rods I05 extend upwardly through the frame head It. A coil spring IE6 encircles each of said rods I535 between the top of said frame head I2 and a nut In! is threaded onto each of rods H25. A nut member IE8 is also threaded onto each of rods Hi5 between the ends of frame head 72 and each is adapted to abut the bottom end thereof.

The plunger member I8 comprises a plate I89 and one or more plungers IIiI which have the same shape and contour as the desired insignia and which fit into the apertures in piston I04 and are adapted to fit into the apertures 89 in the projection as of the cover member 69. Said plungers III! are attached to or are integral with plate I89 and extend downwardly therefrom. Said plate HIS is provided near its corners with holes through which extend the actuating rods 98 and IE5 of the cover member 69 and of the piston member II, respectively. An actuating rod Ill is attached at its lower end to the center of plate H35 and extends upwardly through the frame head l2. A coil spring IIZ encircles said rod III between a nut H3 threaded thereon and the upper portion of frame head I2. An adjusting nut H4 is also threaded onto rod III and is adapted to abut against the lower portion of frame head I2. A pair of abutments W9 are adjustably attached or threaded into plate I09 and extend downwardly therefrom for a purpose to be described.

The slide 9i may be automatically operated in any suitablemanner as by a pair of cam members I I5 mounted upon the plate m3, extending downwardly through the slots 92 in slide 9!, and each having a rise H5 at the lower end thereof.

The frame head I2 of the insert forming and injecting station is slidably mounted in the frame of the machine and is reciprccated in timed relation to the indexing means for the mold carrier. A pair of flanged cheek blocks 925 are fastened to opposite sides of head I2 by means of bolts E26 and dowel pins I 21, see Fig. 10. Said blocks I25 engage and slide within rectangular openings I253 which are providedin side walls 13 of the machine frame. Pins I29 extend laterally from each block I25 and are each journaled in one end of a connecting rod I35 having its other end pivotally connected to a bell crank I3I which is rotatably mounted in common with bell crank I 22 on a shaft I32 extending between the side walls I3, see Fig. 15. A second connecting rod 433 has one end connected to bell crank I3! and has its other end eccentrically pivoted to the driving disk IZQ. Said driving diski2 3 is mounted upon a shaft I3 jour'naled in side walls I3 and driven in any suitable manner by a prime mover ormotor, not shown.

Rotation of shaft I34 and driving disk I Z l reciprocates connecting rods I33 and Hit and bell cranks l22and I3] whereby cheek blocks I25 and 7 frame head I2 are reciprocated through a stroke determined by the eccentricity of the connection of connecting rod it? to disk 26, and/or by the radii of the arms of bell crank I3! to which the connecting rods I30 and I33 are connected.

The actuating means for the insert forming and injecting station and/or for the cake perforating station are operated in timed relation to the indexing means for the mold carrier. For this purpose a sprocket I35 on shaft I35 is encircled by a chain I39 which also encircles a sprocket I37 attached to the driving disk I5 for the Geneva gear I4. As a result, the driving pin '56 moves said Geneva gear I l when the cheek plates Ila and cheek blocks I 25 and the associated frame heads I8 and I2 are at the uppermost ends of openings I29 and I23 and when the mold and/or soap cake engaging members of said stations are retracted and spaced from the mold members of the intermittently rotated carrier.

The operation of the insert forming and injecting station shown in Figs. 1 and 5-10 will now be described.

At the beginning of the cycle, the actuating means for and members of the insert forming and injecting station are in the positions shown in Fig. 1, the frame head I2 of said actuating means is in its uppermost position, the cover member 69 is spaced from the mold frame 50, piston member II is spaced from the bottom of guideway 8'! sufficiently for introduction of the strip 89 of insert soap therebetween, plunger member II! has the lower face or faces of the plunger I I approximately flush with the bottom of piston I04, and the rises M6 on cam members H are in engagement with the outer ends of slots 92 to hold slide 9| outwardly against the action of spring 95 so that saidslide 9! covers the apertures 89 in projection 94 of the cover member 69. At this time the coil springs 99 and MI are under tension and hold the cover member 69 away from the mold member and nut members 98 abut against support member 61.

The first step of the insert forming. cycle of the machine is illustrated in Fig. 5 and takes place during the first part of the downward movement of frame head 72 of the actuating means. During such movement of frame head 72 the compression on springs I09 and H2 is increased to exert a thrust on actuating rods I05 and III, to move plates I03 and I99 toward the block 83, and to move piston I04 and plunger or plungers H0 through the strip 88 of insert soap into the cavity 88 in block 83. The volume'in the strip 88 sheared off and pressed into cavity 66 is approximately equal to the volume of the insignia and the thickness of strip 88 and/or the amount of the strip 88 fed into said'cavity 88 may be varied to maintain the relationship for insignia of different volume. within the cavity 86'also arranges or orients the grain of the soap for the inserts so'that such grain will be perpendicular to the pressure eX- The compression of the insert soap dryness the extrusion through apertures 89 durerted by the piston and plunger members. When starting up the machine, it will obviously be necessary to fill cavity 86 with insert soap or sev movement of the plunger member I0 and the piston member II. In addition the springs I06 and I I2 are so selected and arranged that the ing compression will be negligible and will not disturb the re-arrangement of the grain for the insert or at most will only disturb the grain in the lower part of the insert.

The movement of plates I03 and I09 toward block 83 continues until adjustable stops III thereon abut against block 83 and adjustment of said stops III permits control of the distance which piston member II enters into the cavity 86. During said first step of the cycle, the thrust of springs I06 and I I2 is exerted against springs 99 only through the soap material in cavity 86. The predominance of springs 99 prevents any appreciable movement of the cover member 69 and the difierence between the resistance of springs 99 and the effort of springs I06 and H2 determines the pressure exerted on the insert soap in cavity 86, which pressure is sufiicient to orient the grainin said insert soap.

Continued movement of frame member I2 after stops II? on plate I03 abut against block 83 accomplishes the second step of my improved method and apparatus, as shown in Fig. 6. Such movement of frame member .12 after compression of the insert soap in cavity 86 and abutment of stop I I I with block 83 further increases the compression of springs I06 and H2 whose efiOrts are now exerted directly against the block 83 and springs 99 are now compressed. As a result cover member 69 is moved toward the mold member and the soap cake engaging surface 85 of projection 84 is moved against the display surface of the soap cake 29 within the frame 50 of the mold member and dowels 83 on block 83 are moved into corresponding recesses in said frame 50. At the same time, and as the third step of the cycle the plunger member and the piston member 'II are both moved toward the soap cake but the lower faces of piston I04 and of plungers I II) are maintained in substantially flush relationship on account of the relative characteristics of the springs I06 and H2, see particularly Fig. 7.. Since plate I09 has not moved relatively to plate I03, the slide 9|, if provided, is still in closed position.

During the fourth step of'the cycle, the distinctive inserts are projected or injected into the soap cake 29, see Fig. 8. The actuating means for said insert forming and injecting station moves the frame head I2 farther toward the mold member and spring H2 is compressed still more to exert a thrust on plate I09 and move the same toward block 83 of cover member 69. Such relative movement of plate I09 moves rises II6 of cam members H5 out of the slots 92 in slide BI, and

springs 95 thus act to move one end of slide 9| against one of the dowels '83 on block 83 in which position the opening 91 in said slide 9I is opposite the ends of plungers I I0 andin registry with the bottom of cavity 86, see Fig. 4.

'Further movement of plate I09 toward block 83 7 projects plungers H0 throughpiston I04 and presses distinctive inserts 34' out of the compressed insert soap in cavity 86 and into the soap cake 29. Since the apertures 89 in projection 84 are formed by molding around the cores or perforating plungers 6|, such injection or insertion into the apertures 65 in soap cake 29 will be accompanied by a reforming or reshaping of said apertures 65 by the distinctive inserts 34' which themselves out a portion or shaving 29' from the walls of apertures 65 in cake 29, as shown in Figs. 8 and 13. The movement of plate I09 and plungers I I II with respect to block 83 and projection 84 is limited by engagement of abutments I09 with the top of block 83. Said abutments I89 may be adjustable and are arranged so that the ends of plungers II 8 are precisely flush with the cake engaging surface 85 of the cover member 69 at the completion of the fourth step of the cycle. If such soap cake engaging surface 85 is concave, as shown, the ends of plungers Ill) are also concave to form therewith a smoothly curved surface.

The stroke of plungers III] is preferably so selected or adjusted as to project into the soap cake 29 a distinctive soap insert 34' equal in length to one half the thickness of the soap cake 29. Since the apertures 55 extend more than half way into the cake 29, the soap material 29' Which is scraped or shaved from the walls of apertures 65 by the inserts 34' will fill in the extra depth of said apertures 65, see Fig. 8. The stroke of the perforating plungers GI maybe increased or decreased depending upon the space required by the soap material removed by the reshaping of apertures 65 by the inserts 34'.

An important advantage of injecting the distinctive inserts 34' in the manner just described is that the outer ends of said inserts 34 may be formed to conform more or less to the display surface of the soap cake 29 without the necessity of a cut-off operation upon the inserts which leaves an objectionable shiny area on said display surface adjacent the inserts 34'. Another advantage of injecting the inserts 34' in the manner described is that the ends of plungers IIO may be formed with a curvature different and/or reverse from the curvature of the display surface of the cake 29, and abutments I09 may be adjusted so that the ends of plungers I I8 at the end of their stroke extend slightly into the cake 29 to give a recessed effect. Alternatively, the ends of plungers I I may be more sharply concave than the-surface of cake 29, see Fig. 16, and abutments I09 may be adjusted so that only the edges of such concave ends of plungers III) are flush with the display surface of cake 29 to give an embossed effect.

As previously suggested, the immediate injection of the inserts 34' after their formation and the reshaping of the apertures 65 by such recently formed inserts renders the contacting surfaces of the cake and inserts-tackier and/or more adhesive so that the fixation of the inserts within the cake is improved. This advantage is obtained whether the apertures 65 are pre-formed in the cake 29 or whether the inserts 34 are of a harder and drier soap material and themselves effect the penetration of the soap cake.

Finally, the soap cake 29 with the insert 34 therein is subjected to a compression which finishes the surfaces of the cake. Such finishing operation is accomplished by further movement of the frame head I2 to bring the block 83 of cover member 69 against the face of hollow frame 50 of the mold member, see Fig. 9. Duri-ngsuch finishing compression the ends of plungers H0 and the cake engaging surface 85 of the covermember aremaintained in the same relative posior retractedpositions, the strip 88 of insert soap tions as at the end of the fourth step of the cycle or as maintained by the abutments I09.

Upon the return-stroke of the frame head 12 the compression on springs 99, I and'IIZ- is relieved and the lower'portionof frame head I2 abuts against adjusting nut i I74 and'nut members i981 respectively to return the plunger member 10 including-plate H39 and'plungers H9 and the piston member including plate I63 and piston I04 to their uppermost positions as shown in Fig. 1. At the same time springs 99 raise the cover. member 69 includingblock 83, projection 84 and actuating rods 98 until nuts 98' thereon abut against the support'member Bl. Such return of frame head I 2 to its upper position also Places springs I9I under compression which act upon nuts I92 to assist in raising rods 98 and to urge nuts 98 against support member 61.

After such return of the parts of theinsert forming and injecting station to their uppermost isv advanced manually or by any suitable mechanism to feedan additional supply of insert soap along the guideway 87 into the cavity 86 in block 83. As previously explained, the indexing means is, timed to move the carrier and mold members thereon when the parts of all the stations are, spaced from the carrier and the cycle may be repeated in the manner just described.

Inasmuch as the insert soap material is; subjected to pressure in the cavity 86 to orient and/or rearrange the grain of such soap material so. that such grain will be substantially parallel to the display surface after insertion into the'soap-cake, the grain in the strip 88 of insert soap being fed into the compression chamber may'extendin any direction. However, if the insert-soap material is fed in strips or blocks having a depth'equ-al-to that of the insert 34 and if the soap grain in such strips or blocks is already in a predetermined plane, the construction and operation of the insort forming and injecting station may be simplitied and improved in the manner next to be described.

In general such improvement of the insert forming and injecting station comprises the pro-* vision of a deeper guideway for feeding a soap strip equal in thickness to the-depth of the inserts and the substitution of a cutter or cutters havingthe contour of the-desired'insigniain place of the piston I84 of the piston member ll of the previously described insert forming and injecting station.

According, to this other embodimentof the invention, the insert forming and injecting station comprises a cover memberBB, one or more cutters I38, a plungermember I8, and an actuating means to operate said members; Said cover member 69includes a block 83 carrying a projection 84- with a concave cake engaging surface 85 for engagingthe display surface of asoap cake 29 Within a mold member which is opposite'the station and which comprises a hollow frame 58 and a movable bottom member 5!. Said block 83 is provided-with a guideway I39-for astrip I48 of insert soap material having its grain in a-predetermined plane which is parallel to the bottom of saidguideway ItQ-or substantially parallel to the display surface-of cake 29in the mold member. I Said guideway I39 is preferably located with its lower surface-even with thetopof projectionB I-and iso-f a depth and-width sufficient to receive'a strip I49 of distinctive or'insert soap materialhaving a depth or-thickness equal te the desired depth of the distinctive inserts'and "112W? '11 7 ing a width greater than the lateral extent of the insignia. Said block: 83 is also provided with one or more openings I II extending from the top thereof to said guideway I39 and projection 84 is provided with apertures 89 corresponding to the shape of the insignia.

The actuating means for the cover member comprises a pair of actuating rods 98 attached to block 83 and extending upwardly through frame head I2 and support member 61. Coil springs 99 encircle rods 93 between nuts I thereon and support member 61. Nut members 98' on rods 98 abut the lower surface of support member 61. Coil springs IOI encircle rods 98 within frame head I2 and nuts I 02 on rods 98 engage the upper ends of springs IOI.

The cutter member comprise-s a plate I03 and one or more-thin walled cutters I38 formed to the shape of the insignia and extending downwardly from plate I03. The actuating means for such cutter member comprises a pair of actuating rods I05 fastened to diagonally opposite corners of plate I03 and extending upwardly through said frame head I2. A pair of coil springs I06 encircle said rods I09 within the frame head I2, a pair of nuts I01 threaded to rods I05 adjust the compression on springs I06, and nut members I03 on rods I05 may abut the lower end of frame head I2.

The plunger member I0 comprises a plate I09 and one or more plungers I I0 which have the same shape and contour as the desired insignia and which fit into the cutters I38 and into the apertures 89 in projection 84 of the cover member. Said plungers IIO extend downwardly from plate I09 which is provided near each corner with holes through which extend the pairs of actuating rods 98 and I05. An actuating rod III is attached at its lower end to the center of plate I09 and extends upwardly through the frame head I2. A coil spring IIZ encircles said rod III between a nut II3 threaded thereon and the upper portion of frame head I2. An adjusting nut H4 is also threaded onto rod III and is adapted to abut against the lower end of frame head I2. A pair of abutments I09 are adjust ably mounted or threaded into plate I09.

The frame head I2 of the preferred insert forming and injection station is operated as described previously and as shown in Fig. 15 and at the beginning of the cycle the actuating means spaces the plates I03 and I09 from the block 83 as shown in Fig. 1. In such position of plate I03 the lower ends of cutters I 30 are above the guideway I39 50 that the insert soap strip I40 can be fed therealongeither manually or in some mechanical manner not shown. At the same time the bottom ends of plungers IIO are above guideway I39 and are preferably flush with the beveled ends I 38' of cutters I38, see Fig. 16.

The first step of this preferred insert forming cycle of the machine is illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 and takes place during the first part of the downward movement of frame head I2 of the actuating means. During such movement of frame head I2, the compression on springs I00 is increased to exert a thrust on actuating rods I05and move plate I03 toward block 83 and the adjustable stops III into engagement therewith. Such movement of plate I03 moves cutters I38 through the strip I 40 of insert soap to cut'the distinctive soap inserts therefrom and the beveled lower edges I38 of said cutters I38 fit into or against the beveled upper edges 89' of the apertures. 89 in projection 84. The spring II2 may be arranged so that plate I09 and plungers II 0 are not moved during said first step of the cycle or are at most only moved to bring the bottom ends of plungers IIO against the upper surface of strip I40. Also during said first step of thecycle the springs 99 oppose and prevent any appreciable movement of block 83. 7

Continued movement of frame member "I2 after stops I I? on plate I03 abut against block 83 accomplishes the second step of the preferred method and apparatus as shown in Figs. 13 and 14:. Further movement of frame member I2 places spring II2 under suflicient compression to move plate I09 toward plate I03 and relieves the compression on springs I9I so that block 83 and projection 84 are simultaneously moved toward the mold member, and cake engaging surface 89 on projection 89 abuts against the cake 29 in the mold members and dowels 83 move into corresponding recesses 50 in frame 50. As the downward movement of frame head I2 continues the plate I09 is moved downwardly and the distinctive soap inserts 34 are injected into the soap cake 29 and/or into apertures 95 previously provided therein. As before such injection of the inserts 3d reshapes or reforms the apertures 65. If the soap material for inserts 34 is sulficiently harder than the material of soap cake 29, the inserts 39 may be injected directly into the soap cake 29 without any previous provision of apertures therein. 7

Finally the abutments I09 on plate I09 engage the top of block 83 and the lower faces of plungers IEO are located in flush, recessed or protruding relationship with respect to the cake engaging surface 85 on projection 84. Againthe WhOlB. insert forming and injecting station may be pressed to exert a final finishing operation upon the composite soap cake 29 and distinctive insert 34'.

During the return of the frame head I2 to its uppermost position, the plates I03 and I09 are displaced from block 83 and returned to their original positions. The retraction of cutter or cutters I38 from the strip I40 of-insert soap will tend to carry the said strip I40 along but the upper wall of the guideway I39 acts as a stripper to prevent this. Thus it will be understood that the opening or openings MI in block 93 need not correspond at all to the contour of the cutter or cutters I38 as long as the insert soap in strip I 40 is cleanly stripped from the cutters I38.

After the insert injection has been accomplished and the carrier rotated, the rise 49 of cam member 47 will radially move the stem 55 and bottom members 5| of the mold member to eject the finished composite soap cake therefrom.

While various forms of the invention have been shown herein, it is to be understood that invention may be accomplished in still other formsor arrangements, for instance it is clear that the actuating means or mechanism' for the various stations can be provided in a variety of ways. Consequently, the present disclosure is to be construed only in an illustrative sense and the scope of the invention is defined in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for providing insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold assembly provided' with a cavity for a soap cake and having a well provided with an aperture having the shape and size of the desired insignia,

of a plunger member movable through a body of distinctive soap material, cooperating with and entering the apertured wall simultaneously to form a soap insert of a definite depth and to move the same through said apertured Wall and into said soap cake, and an actuating means operatively connected to said plunger member and for moving the same into and through said aperture for soap insert formation and movement.

2. In an apparatus for providing distinctive insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold member provided with a cavity for containing a soapv cake, and a cover member for said mold member and provided with an aperture having the shape and size of the desired insignia, of an insert forming and injecting means including a plunger member cooperating with said apertured cover member simultaneously to form and move within said aperture a soap insert, and actuating means operatively connected to said cover member and to said plunger member and for respectively moving said cover member to enclose said cavity and to engage a soap cake therein, and moving said plunger member to form within said aperture an insert of distinctive soap material and to move the same through the aperture in said cover member and into said soap cake.

3. In an apparatus for providing distinctive insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold member provided with a cavity for containing a soap cake, and a cover member for enclosing the cavity in said mold member, having a surface for engaging a soap cake in said cavity, and provided with an aperture having the shape of said insignia, of a forming means including a plunger member having the shape of said insignia, and actuating means connected to and for moving said plunger member toward said cavity and through the aperture in said cover member until the end of said plunger member is substantially ,fiush with the cake engaging surface of said cover member, and for then pressing said cover member and plunger member simultaneously toward the soap cake.

4. In an apparatus for providing distinctive insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold assembly provided with a cavity for containing a soap cake and having a wall provided with an aperture having the shape and size of said insignia and provided with a cavity for soap material distinctive from said soap cake, of a forming means for forming an insert of distinctive soap material including a plunger cooperating with the apertured wall simultaneously to form and move within said aperture a distinctive soap insert, and an actuating means connected to and for movin said plunger through the second mentioned cavity and through the aperture in said wall to form therein an insert of distinctive soap material and to move said insert into said soap cake.

5. In an apparatus for providing distinctive insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold assembly provided with a cavity for containing a soap cake and havin a wall provided with a cavity for distinctive soap material and provided with an aperture shaped like said insignia and extending from one cavity to the other, of a forming means including a piston member having the shape of the second mentioned cavity and includin a plunger member having the shape of said insignia, and actuating means connected to and for moving said piston and plunger members simultaneously to compress a distinctive soap material in said. second mer'i tioned; cavity and then moving said plunger member with respect to said piston member. to force a distinctive soap insert through said aperture and into said soap cake.

6. In an apparatus for providing distinctive insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold assembly provided with a cavity for containing a soap cake and having a wall with a soap engaging surface, provided with a cavity for distinctive soap material, and provided with an aperture shaped like said insignia and extending from the second mentioned cavity to said cake engaging surface, of an insert forming an injecting means includin a piston mem ber fitting into the second mentioned cavity and provided with an aperture having the shape of said insignia, and including a plunger member having the shape of said insignia and extending into the aperture in said piston member, and actuating means for operatively connecting to said piston and plunger members for moving them simultaneously to compress the distinctive soap materialancl for then moving said plunger member with respect to said piston member to move a distinctive insert through the aperture in said.

cover member until the end of said plunger is substantially flush with said cake engaging sur-l face.

7. In an apparatus for providing distinctive insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold assembly provided with a cavity for containing a soap cake and having a wall with a soap cake engaging surface, provided with a cavity for distinctive soap material, and provided with an aperture shaped like said insignia and extending from the second mentioned cavity to said cake engaging surface, of an insert forming and injecting means including a piston member fitting into the second mentioned cavity and provided with an aperture having the shape of said insignia, and including a plunger member having the shape of said insignia and extending into the aperture in said. piston member, a slide member in said apertured wall for covering the apertures therein and provided with an opening adapted to uncover said aperture, actuating means operatively connected to said piston and plunger members for moving them simultaneously to compress the distinctive soap material and for then moving said plunger member with respect to said piston member and toward the mold member, and an operative connection between said plunger member and said slide member and for moving said slide member to uncover the aperture extending from said second mentioned cavity when said plunger member is moved with respect to said piston member.

8. In an apparatus for providing distinctive insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold assembly provided with a cavity for containing a soap cake and having a wall with a soap engaging face, provided with a guideway for a strip of distinctive soap material, and provided with an aperture having the shape of said insignia and extending from said guideway to said engaging surface, of an insert forming and injecting means including a hollow cutter member provided with an opening in the shape of said insignia, and including a plunger member fitting into the opening in said hollow cutter member, and actuating means operatively connected to said cutter and plunger members for first moving said hollow cutter member through said guideway to cut an insert from a strip of distinctive i soap therein and for then moving said plunger member to eject the insert from said cutter member, move the same through said aperture and into a soap cake within said cavity.

9. In an apparatus for providing distinctive insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold assembly provided with a cavity or containing a soap cake and having a wall with a soap engaging face, provided with a guideway for a strip of distinctive soap material, and provided with an aperture having the shape of said insignia and extending from said guideway to said cake engaging surface, of an insert forming and injecting means including a hollow cutter member provided with an opening in the shape of said insignia and movable into continuous alignment with the aperture in said wall, and including a plunger member movable through the opening in said hollow cutter member, and actuating means operatively connected to said cutter and plunger members for first moving said hollow cutter member through said guideway to cut an insert from a strip of distinctive soap therein and into continuous alignment with the aperture in said wall and for then moving said plunger member through said hollow cutter member to eject the insert therefrom and to inject said insert into a soap cake within said mold cavity.

10. In an apparatus for providing distinctive insignia in a soap cake, the combination with a mold assembly provided with a cavity for con- 0 Number taining a soap cake and having a wall with a soap engaging face, provided with a guideway for a strip of distinctive soap material, and provided with an aperture having the shape of said insignia and extending from said guideway to said cake engaging surface, of an insert cutting and injecting means including a hollow cutter member provided with anopening having the shape of said insignia, and including a plunger member having the shape of said insignia, co-operative surfaces on the lower end of said cutter member and around the guideway end of the aperture in said cover member, and actuating means operatively connected to said cutter and plunger members for first moving said hollow cutter member through said guideway to cut an insert from a soap strip therein and to bring said co-operative surfaces into engagement, and for moving said plunger member through said hollow cutter member and the aperture in said cover member to inject a distinctive insert into a soap cake within the mold'cavity.

LESLIE A. BLOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 604,590 McColl May 24, 1898 

